Two hundred Sainsbury’s Bank colleagues in Edinburgh, Fife and across the UK have raised vital funds and awareness for Maggie’s, which provides free practical and emotional support for people living with cancer.
Forty teams of five joined together to get active, with the aim of travelling 500 miles and raising £500 per team in September, going the distance by foot and on two wheels.
By the end of September, the teams had clocked up 27,835 miles – one and a half times around the earth – raising over £30,000 in the process.
Teams from all across the Bank took part including colleagues from Sainsbury’s Travel Money Bureaux across the UK, and colleagues from Argos Financial Services.
Sainsbury’s Bank has undertaken various fundraising challenges for Maggie’s in previous years, for example, in 2019 with employees cycling 100 miles between two Maggie’s centres in Lanarkshire and Forth Valley, reaching the finish line at the Bank’s HQ in Lochside, Edinburgh.
This year required a different approach however, with the challenges presented by COVID-19. Virtual teams were formed, enabling colleagues to provide motivation and support along the way, tracking their distance and their fundraising efforts. Sainsbury’s Bank colleagues made up the miles with family, friends or solo, in their back gardens, garages or local cycle/running paths.
Valerie Ross, Head of Fundraising at Maggie’s said: “I’d like to say a huge thank you to all of the team at Sainsbury’s Bank for taking on this brilliant 500 mile challenge and thinking up such creative ideas to raise money for Maggie’s. Their efforts will allow us to continue to develop our unique, high-quality programme of support to help people with cancer and their family and friends across Edinburgh, Fife and Lothians.”
Steven Davis, HR Director at Sainsbury’s Bank said: “Making a positive difference in our community is really important to us, and we’re proud to partner with Maggie’s in these uncertain times, and help provide a funding boost for this wonderful charity.
“Following the success of last year’s cycling event, we had to go back to the drawing board to find an inclusive and fun activity which could work through the restrictions and challenges of COVID-19.
“Miles for Maggie’s has been an incredible boost for our mental and physical health. We’ve seen more people take part than ever before; united through a common goal of financial support for Maggie’s, whilst getting moving and exploring the great outdoors.”
Built in the grounds of NHS hospitals, Maggie’s centres are warm and welcoming places, with qualified professionals on hand to offer an evidence-based core programme of support that has been shown to improve physical and emotional wellbeing.
Maggie’s relies on voluntary donations to support and grow its network of centres and to develop its unique, high quality programme of support. The charity’s aim is to make the biggest difference possible to people living with cancer and their family and friends.
Donations can be made here: https://www.justgiving.com/team/SainsburysBank2020
John graduated from Telford College in 2010 with an HNC in Practical Journalism and since then he worked for the North Edinburgh News, The Southern Reporter, the Irish News Review and The Edinburgh Reporter. In addition he has been published in the Edinburgh Evening News and the Hibernian FC Programme.
